Studies on work-related skeletal lesions are a vital part of answering questions about how animals were used by prehistoric populations. In Sweden, this sort of research has mainly been done on cattle. Horse (equus) bones are simply to uncommon to find and the osteometric methods are severely lacking. This essay aims to use previous Swedish as well as foreign research on the subject, as a basis for a new study focusing on horse bones from different contexts. The aim is to find indications of whether or not the relationship between humans and horses has affected the way these animals were treated, and later disposed of after death. A new perspective of theory and methodology will be used to tackle the problems that have previously haunted osteological research on horse bones. By combining osteological analysis and microarchaeology the goal is to reach for information that in the past has been hard to come by.  Swedish osteology needs to step out of its comfort zone and start looking at animal bones as more than a statistic foundation.

<p>This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deeper analysis in archaeology. Based on a study of selected toy artefacts from the Classical Harappan settlement at Bagasra, Gujarat, it suggests a viable way of approaching the objects when considering them within a theoretical framework highlighting their social aspects. The study agrees with objections in e.g. parts of gender archaeology and research on children in archaeology to the extrapolating from the marginalized child of the West onto past social structures. Departing from revised toy definitions formulated in disciplines outside archaeology, it proceeds with the objects’ toy identifications while rejecting a ‘transforming’ of these into other interpretations. Thus entering a quite unexplored research field, grounded theory is used as working method. As the items indicate a regulated pattern, the opinion on toy artefacts as randomly scattered around becomes questioned. Using among others the <i>capital</i> concept by Bourdieu, the notion of <i>micropower</i> by Foucault and parts of the newly developed ideas of <i>microarchaeology</i>, the toy-role of the artefacts is emphasized as crucial, enabling the items to express diverse social uses in addition to their possible function as children’s (play)things. With this, the notion of the limiting connection of toys to playing children becomes unravelled, opening for a discussion on enlarged dimensions of the toys and a possible re-naming of them as the materialities of next generation. While suggesting the items to indicate various social strategies and structurating practices, the need for traditional boundaries and separated entities successively becomes eliminated. The traditionally stated toy obstacles with cultural loading and elusive distinctions can with this be proposed as constructions, possible to avoid. The toy concept simultaneously emerges as particularly useful in highlighting the notion of change and continuity within the social structure and children’s roles in this.</p>

This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deeper analysis in archaeology. Based on a study of selected toy artefacts from the Classical Harappan settlement at Bagasra, Gujarat, it suggests a viable way of approaching the objects when considering them within a theoretical framework highlighting their social aspects. The study agrees with objections in e.g. parts of gender archaeology and research on children in archaeology to the extrapolating from the marginalized child of the West onto past social structures. Departing from revised toy definitions formulated in disciplines outside archaeology, it proceeds with the objects’ toy identifications while rejecting a ‘transforming’ of these into other interpretations. Thus entering a quite unexplored research field, grounded theory is used as working method. As the items indicate a regulated pattern, the opinion on toy artefacts as randomly scattered around becomes questioned. Using among others the capital concept by Bourdieu, the notion of micropower by Foucault and parts of the newly developed ideas of microarchaeology, the toy-role of the artefacts is emphasized as crucial, enabling the items to express diverse social uses in addition to their possible function as children’s (play)things. With this, the notion of the limiting connection of toys to playing children becomes unravelled, opening for a discussion on enlarged dimensions of the toys and a possible re-naming of them as the materialities of next generation. While suggesting the items to indicate various social strategies and structurating practices, the need for traditional boundaries and separated entities successively becomes eliminated. The traditionally stated toy obstacles with cultural loading and elusive distinctions can with this be proposed as constructions, possible to avoid. The toy concept simultaneously emerges as particularly useful in highlighting the notion of change and continuity within the social structure and children’s roles in this.

Uppsatsen ämnar belysa kommensala gnagare inom arkeologin och förmedla potentialen för vidare forskning. Den medeltida bebyggelsen i Västergarn, Gotland agerar fallstudie där benen från små gnagare analyserats och diskuterats utifrån mikro- och makroarkeologins teoretiska vinklar. För den osteologiska analysen undersöktes benen med mikroskop för att se till ålder, spår av sjukdom och minsta individantal. I en rumslig analys sattes benen i jämförelse med de husgrunder som påträffats på platsen. Resultatet visade att materialet som fanns tillhandahållet endast innehöll de större benelementen, mest troligt till följd av den alltför stormaskiga sållen som användes vid utgrävningen. Benen som analyserades härrörde från mestadels mycket unga individer som befann sig i eller i anslutning till husgrunderna. Ett ben hade även en sjuklig förändring. Materialet visar på stor potential för framtida tvärvetenskaplig forskning där eventuella handelsrutter, sjukdomsrisker och matkonsumtion kan belysas. / This thesis aims to shed light on commensal rodents in archaeology and convey the potential for future research. The medieval settlement in Västergarn, Gotland was chosen for a case study where the rodent bones were analyzed and discussed based on micro- and macroarchaeological theoretical views. For the osteological analysis the bones were examined through a microscope to determine age, signs of disease and minimum number of individuals. The bones were put into context through a spatial analysis with the building foundations of the archaeological site. The results showed that the material at hand only contained the larger bone elements from the bodies, possibly because of the smaller bones falling through the big mesh sieve. The individuals were mostly very young and encountered near or within the building foundations. One bone had a pathological alteration. The material showed great promises for future interdisciplinary research where potential trading routes, risks of diseases and food consumption can all be made clearer.

This thesis presents a micro-archaeological analysis of the osteological material from theunmarked communal grave L1977:6727, in Sigsarve, Gotland. The grave was found during the ploughing of a field and excavated in 1911. Documentation of the grave was poor; hencethe aim of this thesis was to investigate who the individuals in this grave were through their skeletal remains. The number of individuals, their age, and sex was determined, andpathological or activity-related changes were examined. A discussion on who these individuals were, whether their health could imply anything about their life, and how the grave might have been used, was based on these osteological results. The grave was likely a family grave used by a farming group. The elements displayed a fair amount of physical strain, particularly in a few individuals. The osteological material from the same grave waspreviously examined in 1912 by Carl M. Fürst. To examine the relevance of re-analysing osteological material analysed during the earlier 20th century a comparative analysis of Fürst’s and the new results was made. Although there were similarities, the older analysis provided very limited information in comparison to this analysis. / Denna avhandling är en mikroarkeologisk analys av det osteologiska materialet från flatmarksgraven L1977:6727, i Sigsarve, Gotland. Graven plogades upp och grävdes ut 1911. Då dokumentation om graven var minimal blev uppsatsens syfte att undersöka vilka individerna i graven kan ha varit genom det osteologiska materialet. Antalet individer, deras ålder och kön bedömdes, och eventuella patologiska eller aktivitetsrelaterade förändringar undersöktes. Utifrån resultaten diskuterades individernas liv, hälsa samt gravens bruk. Det kunde konstateras att graven troligen var en familjegrav som brukats av bönder snarare än jägare/samlare. Benen påvisade fysisk påfrestning, i synnerhet hos ett fåtal individer. Det osteologiska materialet undersöktes tidigare år 1912 av Carl M. Fürst. För att utreda relevansen av att åter-analysera osteologiskt material som analyserats under det tidigare 1900-talet gjordes en jämförande analys av Fürsts och de nya resultaten. Medan det fanns likheter i resultaten gav den äldre analysen mycket begränsad information i jämförelse med denna analys. / Gotland in the 3rd ML BCE